The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-07-07
HIS LAST SWING.
Albert Turner. the Murderer of Jennie
Bowman.
Goes from the GallOws to the IN
known Realm.
He Denies His Former Statement that
Patterson
Was His Accomplish In the Horrible
Crime.

LOUISVILLE, KY, July 1.-Albert
Turner, one of the negro murderers Of
Jennie Bowman, was swung into eter
nifty from the gallows in the county jai
yard at 6:32 O'Clock this morning. He
was strangled to death, the body being
cut down about twenty minutes after
the trap was sprung. Only fifty PEG
pie were admitted to the yard, but
about 1900 assembled in the vicinity OF
the place as early as 4:30 o'clock. Dur
ing the prayer, which Immediately pre-
coded the fall of the trap, Turner gazed
at the crowd about him uncOncernedly
and went to his death without any evil
dence of fear. His dying statement
was a contradiction of all previously
made. He said: / hope you will ali
take warning who see me now; and
now, friends, there is man in prison
who robbed the street car. want him
turned free. am going to die with an
honest heart and bring no one to the
gallOws. / am going to die alone. Free
Patterson; that man was not with me.
That is all / have got to say. am
willing to die now.
TURNER'S CRIME.
The greatest excitement prevailed in
this city on the afternoon of Thursday,
April %. 1t was caused by report
that Jennie Bowman, a domestic TWEEN
ty-twO years of age, employed by A. 7 :.
johnson at his home in the best resi-
dence portion of the city, had been as
sailed and fearfully beaten by thieves,
while attending to her household du-
ties. The fact that the assault had
been committed in the bright open
light of noon; when houses are left un-
protected, added to the indignation.
The girl was found brutally beaten,
bleeding and insensible. On the floor
was found heavy iron poker, covered
with hair and blood, it having evident
ly been the weapon used. Down stairs
were evidences of fearful struggle, as
on the floor was found the stem of a
goblet which Jennie Bowman had used
in the fight for her life. On either side
of the staircase were bloody marks.
Next day the victim became conscious
for few moments and described her
two negroes. On Friday after
noon William Patterson, dangerous
negro who was suspected, and late
Saturday afternoon Albert Turner,
whose face and hands bore suspicious
looking wounds, evidently made by
some jagged instrument, was diScOv-
cred in hiding and taken to jail. Sew
eral articles which had been missed
from JOhnson's house, were also dis
covered in his room. Upon sight of
these he confessed his crime, and i'm
plored the officers to save him from the
mob, which he feared. The authori-
ties thought a lynching probable and
removed the man to Frankfort, Ken
lucky. In the meantime Turner, upon
seeing Patterson, declared that he was
his accOmplice in the terrible deed. He
said that if his drawers were examined
blood would be found upon them. Pat
terson was stripped and the blood was
there. Turner and Patterson were
brought back to this city upon Tues
day, April 9th, the authorities at
longer. Then followed a mob demon
stratiOn which necessitated the calling
out of the militia to protect the jail.
After lingering nearly three weeks
Jennie Bowman expired.
TURNER'S CONVICTION.
Upon May 9th the Fgrand jury met
and ON May 18th returned true bills
against Turner and Patterson for muir
der. The trial followed Immediately
and Turner plead guilty. His punish
ment was fixed by the jury at death. At
=
Indictment had been returned, Judge
Jackson sentenced the self-confessed
murderer to hang July list. Patterson
plead not guilty, and his case was tried
May 10th, and the jury, after being out
eleven minutes, returned verdict of
guilty and punishment at death. The
Judge sentenced him to hang July 1st,
but his attorneys prayed for an appeal,
which is now before the court of ap-
peals. A rehearing before that body
will be about September 10th.
Turner held a levee in the Jail several
days prior to his hanging, charging Gu
rious visitors to the Jail five cents for a
look of fifteen seconds, and calling to
them to pass on and come up in
regular side show style. He
collected considerable sum of money
which will be used in burying him. On
one of those days the doomed man was
peering through the bars across his
window, and catching sight of his sis
ter in the crowd, he said: You look
here, sister, want big funeral Fri
no disappointment about it." $50 of,
Albert, the waman answered, chow is
gwine to get you up big funeral
when l amt got no mOney?' LOOK
here, woman, If you don't rs gwine to
ha'nt you every night, and all that
know me and don't tend de funeral. "
Law, honey, don't talk dat way
broke in an old colored woman who was
evidently very much excited, and who
had been moving uneasily from side to
side. ''Yas, woman, Use gwine to
come back on this earth and ha'nt all
yOuse niggers who don't tend my
buryin." AS he delivered this SEN
tence the old woman threw up heI
hands and fell backwards in fit.
Kansas Notes.
CISIARRoN, Kas., June 3O.-Gray
County and this part of Southwestern
Kansas was visited by the best rain OF
the season to-day. Crop prospects are
most hattering.
RUSSELL, Kas., june SO.-There was
a glorious rain in this locality this af'